The invention relates to a bearing arrangement for the laterally movable vertical support of a ski boot on a ski, having a plate-type support part which can be slid to a limited extent relative to the ski in the direction of the transverse axis of the ski and on which the ski boot rests with its sole--particularly in the ball area of the sole.
Bearing arrangements of this type are known, for example, from the German Patent Document DE-OS 25 53 169. They have the object of reducing, as extensively as possible, the friction between the ski boot and the ski during relative movements between the ski boot and the ski in order to ensure as much as possible that the release action of the ski binding cannot be affected by friction when forces act sideways on the boot.
For this reason, a bearing of the support part is provided that has as little friction as possible, for example, according to the above-mentioned German Patent Document DE-OS 25 53 169 by means of balls.
However, it is not taken into account in this text that the support part can only have a limited mobility in the transverse direction of the ski if the support part is to be held on the ski or on a ski-side part so that it cannot be lost. Modern ski bindings now have a very wide elasticity range in the transverse direction of the ski; i.e., the ski binding is capable of restoring the ski boot into the normal position even if, because of laterally acting forces, it previously had been deflected relatively far out of the normal position. In this case, the elasticity range of the ski binding in the transverse direction of the ski may be larger than the moving range of the support part. This means, however, that the support part, when the ski boot is released sideways, can follow the ski boot only along a limited path in the transverse direction of the ski without the requirement of a relative movement between the ski boot and the support part. As soon as the support part has then reached its end position, the ski boot, in the case of a lateral release, still moves a certain distance farther along in the transverse direction of the ski until the release point of the ski binding is exceeded. In this movement phase of the ski boot, there is necessarily an increased amount of friction between the sole of the ski boot and the support part remaining in its end position. Should the ski boot sole now--for example, in the case of a forwardly directed lateral fall--be pressed on the support part with a higher force, the friction acting between the boot sole and the support part can assume considerable proportions so that the overall resistance which counteracts a release of the ski boot from the binding increases to an undesirable extent.
For this reason, bearing arrangements of the initially indicated type are questionable in the case of ski bindings with a high elasticity range in the transverse direction of the ski.
From the German Patent Document DE-OS 21 34 950, a bearing arrangement is known in which the support part is formed by an endless belt which winds movably around a ski-side support part and the upper portion of which, stretching over the top side of the support part in the transverse direction of the ski, is used as a bearing surface for the ski boot. The endless belt can therefore follow an arbitrary movements of the ski boot sole in the transverse direction of the ski. Thus the disadvantages of the initially mentioned bearing arrangement are avoided. However, it should be taken into account that the plastic material, from which the endless belt must be made in practice, can become rough after an extended use, particularly under the influence of UV-radiation which may be particularly intense in high mountain terrain. In this case, it should be taken into account that particularly skiers who are out of practice make relatively numerous pauses. In this case, the skis are often taken off so that the surrounding belts of the support arrangements are extensively exposed to the sun.
In addition, bearing arrangements are known which consist essentially of support plates with a very smooth top side which are fixed to the ski. As the material for these support plates, special plastics (teflon) are used which are relatively expensive and difficult to process. The fastening of these plastic plates on the ski normally takes place by glued connections which, however, withstand the UV-radiation only to a limited extent. The danger therefore exists that the support plates may be lost.
It is now an object of the invention to provide a bearing arrangement which, on the one hand, virtually requires no maintenance and is durable and, on the other hand, can practically not affect the release action of the ski binding.
By mean of a bearing arrangement of the initially mentioned type, this object is achieved in that it is provided according to the invention that the support part, with an increasing displacement in the direction of the transverse axis of the ski, takes up an increasingly oblique position with a gradient into the displacement direction.
Within the mobility range of the plate-shaped support part, the ski boot, which is supported on it, is disposed with an essentially negligible friction in the transverse direction of the ski. As soon as, during a lateral movement of the ski boot caused by forces acting from the outside, the support part pulled along by the ski boot sole reaches its end position assigned to the respective displacement direction, also in the case of a strong contact pressure of the ski boot sole on the support part, no increased resistance can occur which counteracts the lateral movement of the ski boot because the contact pressure forces acting between the ski boot sole and the support part, as a result of the oblique position of the support part, generate a force component seeks to move the ski boot from its normal or central position and thus continue the lateral displacement initiated by the ski boot.
In this case, it is advantageous for the zone in which the highest contact pressure forces occur between the plate-type support part and the ski boot sole, because of the oblique position of the support part, is situated on the side of the ski boot sole which is opposite the respective moving direction of the ski boot. Therefore, when the ski boot makes a more pronounced lateral movement, a torque is exercised on it which increases with the respective vertical stressing of the support part and which seeks to eject the ski boot sideways from the binding.
Therefore, by means of the arrangement according to the invention, it is reliably avoided that the resistances, which counteract a release movement of the ski boot, can rise to an undesirable extent shortly before the elasticity range of the binding is exceeded.
The principle according to the invention can be implemented in a constructively particularly simple manner. It is sufficient for sliding surfaces, which are sloped with respect to one another in the manner of a roof, to be arranged on the bottom side of the plate-shaped support part facing the top side of the ski and/or on the facing top side of a ski-side part, so that the respective side of the support part which points in the displacement direction, when the support part is displaced sideways, is moved sideways and diagonally downwards, and the other side is moved sideways and diagonally upwards.
Instead, it is also possible to construct the mentioned sliding surfaces in an arched manner.
In addition, it is expediently provided that the plate-type support part is equipped with a restoring spring assembly so that the support part always seeks to take up its normal or center position.
With respect to other preferred characteristics of the invention, reference is made to the claims as well as to the following explanation of particularly advantageous embodiments by means of the drawing.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.